There is described in a co-pending application of Marcel Vache, Ser. No. 722,901, filed Sept. 13, 1976, and entitled "PORTABLE STOVES", now U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,013, a small portable stove having a stove enclosing cover comprising two saucepans capable of telescopically sliding together, one within the other, the saucepans having first means for uniting them in a manner such that they enclose a first lesser volume corresponding to that of the stove when it is in a partially dismantled configuration, and the saucepans having second means operative for enclosing within the same containers a second larger volume corresponding to that of the stove when it is in fully assembled configuration.
The first means comprises a handle attachable to one of the saucepans which handle is bent at 90.degree. and can be snapped vertically into a guide bracket fixed to one of the saucepans, the bent end of the handle then retaining the other saucepan in such a way that the stove when in its partially dismantled or knocked-down configuration, can be housed in vertical position between the ends of the two telescoped saucepan covers. This lesser-volume configuration corresponds to a storage or transport configuration, before full assembly of the stove and before its attachment to a gas cartridge. Once the stove is assembled to a cartridge it is no longer possible to separate the stove from the pierced cartridge unitl the latter has been fully emptied, whereby the stove in said larger configuration stands higher than when in said partly dismantled state. According to the above disclosure, the two saucepans can still house the stove in said larger configuration by the use of a strap which passes around them and which constitutes the aforementioned second means.
It can be easily seen that the handle and the strap can become misplaced the moment that they are removed, whereby the means for maintaining the saucepans telescoped within one another can thus be lost making it more difficult not only to use the stove, but especially to transport it. Moreover, these uniting means are not a part of the rest of the apparatus which is especially noted for its great simplicity.